Huge fire engulfs Shepherd’s Bush tower block

A huge blaze broke out in a London tower block on Friday, and more than 50 people were evacuated and spent the night away from their homes.

Around twenty fire engines and 120 firefighters were called out to tackle the fire in a block of flats in Shepherd’s Bush, which reportedly affected five floors of the 18-storey building, leaving them charred and burnt. Basically, emergency crews from Hammersmith, Kensington, Acton, Chiswick, Park Royal, Battersea, Paddington, Fulham, Wandsworth, and Brixton fire stations were there to help.

According to the London Ambulance Service, two patients were treated at the scene, but neither needed to be taken to hospital.

Footage captured by people who gathered in the area and posted on social media showed flames surging from the windows and clouds of grey smoke could be seen rising from the block from several miles away.

Eyewitnesses praise the Fire Brigade for their quick response, saying they arrived at the scene within a few minutes of flames breaking out, which helped extinguish the fire before it had the chance to extend to other nearby buildings. The fire broke out at around 15.45 and was brought under control by 17:32 local time.

Several flats were damaged by the flames and those affected were offered accommodation by the local authority.

The cause of the fire is still to be determined and authorities are continuing the investigation.